Metal-to-metal buckle



Dec. 19, 1961 c. WEBER METAL-TO-METAL BUCKLE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Feb. 24, 1958 fos l 117 J/ p@ A TTUP/VE Y Dec. 19, 1961 Q WEBER METAL-To-METAL BUCKLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 24, 1958 INVENTOR.

u mv 4 Tra/eA/EY 3,013,317 METALJf-METAL BUCKLE Christof Weber, Los Angeies, Caiith, assigner, by mesne assignments, to Wiliiam M. Noe, Pasadena, Caiif. Filed Feb. 2d, 1958, Ser. No. 717,010 Claims. {(Il. 12A-75) This invention relates to buckles and deals more particularly with a metal-to-metal buckle structure such as is adapted to connect the ends of safety belt and for other analogous purposes.

An object of the present invention is to provide a buckle of the indicated character that provides a novel connection of the buckle parts, at one end, means for adjusting the effective length of the strap ends connected by the buckle, at the other end, and providing independent actuators or controls for said connection and means at their respective ends.

Another object of the invention is to provide a buckle, as above, that embodies a simplified construction, a feature of which is the use of a single pivot for such controls.

A further object of the invention is to provide a metalto-metal buckle of the character above referred to in which both controls are of the pull or lift type and, being opposite, readily recognized one from the other.

The invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construe* tion and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description. However, the drawings merely show and the following description merely describes, preferred embodiments ofthe present invention, which are given by way of illustrationor example only.

In the drawings, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a preferred form of metal-tometal buckle according to the present invention, the same being shown separated.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view beneath the top plate of the buckle with the buckle parts connected, parts being shown in section.

PEG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view as taken along a medial -line of PEG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a plan view, partly in plan section, of a modification.

FIG. 5 is a side elevational View, partly in longitudinal section, of the buckle shown in FIG. 4.

FiG. 6 is a broken perspective View of anelement of the latter buckle.

The metal-to-metal buckle that is illustrated connects two strap ends 1d and 11 by means of its separabie parts 12 and 13, respectively connected to said strap ends. The ends 1t) and 11 may be those of a single strap or the ends of two straps anchored to a common base.

The buckle part 12 comprises a tongue llywith beveled lead-in corners 15 and connected to the strap end 1d as by a loop in the latter. A central opening 16 is formed in said tongue, the same being preferably rectangular as shown. This flat metal part is provided, at the sides, with upbent flanges 17, the saine, as will be later seen, constituting stops limiting the inserted position of the tongue into the Abuckle part 13.

The buckle part 13 comprises, generally, a-bottom shell 13, atop shell 19, a pivot -Zlt connecting said shells and 3,(il3,3l7 Patented Dec. 19, 1961 on which the top shell is pivotal relative to the bottom shell, a latch 21 for the tongue part 12 carried at one end of the buckle part 13 by the bottom sheil and controlled by said pivotal movement of the top shell, and means 22 at the end of part 13 opposite to the end where latch 21 is provided for releasably gripping the strap end 11 so that said end may be adjusted in a direction to tauten the pull between said ends 10 and 11.

The bottom shell 18 is shown as formed of sheet metal to have a bottom wall Z3 and opstanding side or flange walls 24. The shell is thus provided with a channel form as seen transversely. At one end, the side walls 24 are provided with aligned apertures 24a for 'the pivot 20 which is preferably in the form of a hollow pin that spans between said walls.

The top shell 19 is also of channel form transversely, being provided with top wall Z5 and side or ange walls 26. As can best be seen, the channel of the top` shell is wider than and is receptive of the bottom shell, the walls 26 being outside of the walls 24. Said side walls 26 are provided with aligned apertures 27 for the pivot pin 20. Thus, the two shells are pivotally connected at one end and are adapted to be swung apart at the other' in clam shell fashion. Such movement may be limited and, in this instance, a cross pin 2S, carried by the walls 25 of the upper shell, is passed through elongated slots 29 in the walls 24 of the lower shell, the length of said slots providing the limiting abutments. As will be later seen, said pin 2d constitutes also an actuator for the latch 21. The side walls 26 ofthe outer shell enclose the adjacent side wall portions of the inner shell and present a hand gripping area which `can readily be used in the operation of the device, it being obvious to one skilled in the art that the surfaces of these side walls presents a convenient gripping portion.

The top wall Z5 is preferably formed to have an upwardly angled lip 3u that is adapted to be lifted by the lingers of the user. ln this case, said lip is shown with a straight transverse edge 31 that makes it easy to grasp for releasing and yet may not readily inadvertently be lifted. Said lip 30 is provided on the end of a reversely angled or sloped face 32 which is adapted to be provided with indicia 33 apprisng of the ybuckle part-releasing end. It will be noted that the edge 31 is below the plane of the top wall 25 to obviate the same being accidentally snagged.

At the other end of the top wall 2S, the same is provided with a downwardly sloping face 34 (the form of FIGS. l, 2, and 3, only). The same constitutes a limiting stop for the means 22.

The t-wo shells 18 and 19 cooperate to define an interior space between them in which space the tongue 14 of the buckle part 12 is adapted to be introduced. In order to limit the intrusion of said tongue, the side walls 24 of the shell 18 are provided with ends -35 that are aligned with and, therefore, end abutted by the flanges 17 of said part 12. FIG. 3 best shows this condition and also that the tongue 14 is in superposed position on the shell bottom 23, and that the same extends to a position beneath the cross pin 2S.

The latch 21 is shown as comprising a cross pin 36 spanning between the side walls 2li of the bottom shell, a latch element 37, preferably formed of sheet metal, designed to enter the opening 16 in a tongue 14 positioned in the buckle part 13, and mounted by ears 38 on the pin 36. A lift extension 39 is provided on said latch element and in such overstanding relation to the cross pin 28 as to be lifted thereby upon pivotal movement ofthe shells away from each other. At its opposite end, the latch element is provided with an edge 40 that, by abutting the face or wall 32, limits the position of the two shells to the normal parallel position shown. At least one torsion spring 4l (two are shown) may be arranged to bias the latch element to the position shown wherein an abutment 42 thereof is disposed with the opening i6 and in abutting engagement with the tonguge edge 43.

With the flanges 17 the abutment with the wall edge 35 of the lower shell and the latch part 42 in abutment with said tongue edge 43, the tongue cannot be pulled out of the buckle part 13. However, by lifting on the lip 31 to swing the top shell on the pivot 2t) away from the bottom shell, the pin 23 will lift the extension 39 and enable easy withdrawal of the tongue. Upon release of the top shell, the spring or springs 4l will return the parts to the position shown ready to receive a tongue. The latter is latched merely by pushing the same slidingly into the interior of the buckle part 13. The cam face 44 of the `latch element yields to such introduction of the tongue 14 and allows a snap retention engagement of the latch element and said tongue.

In the form of FIGS. l, 2, and 3, the means 22 that releasably grips the strap end 11 comprises an adjuster bar 45 that spans between the sides 24 of the bottom shell 1S and is mounted on a cross pin 45 in such manner as to be pivotally carried thereby, and an adjuster vlever 47 that is mounted on the pvot pin 20. In FIG. 3, the means 22 is shown in the release position wherein the Surface 48 of the adjuster bar is kept spaced away from the gripping surface 49 of the adjuster lever. The same is accomplished by lifting the tail Sil of lever 47 to the raised position against the stop edge l of the top shell that is shown, causing the arms `5.?. of said lever to engage against the shoulder 53 of the bar 45 to rock the bar on its pivot pin 46. The space thus created between the adjuster bar and adjuster lever is greater than the thickness of the strap 11. Hence, the loop 54 of said strap that is trained around the adjuster bar is freed and the strap ll may be slacked oi.

Normally, the tension on strap 11 creates a downward pull on the bar end 55 resulting in an upward movement of the gripping surface 4S and gripping of the strap between said surface and the surface 49. The tail 50 is depressed in this normal position and is spaced away from the stop S1. The strap 11 is held taut until released as above. However, ad .titional tautening may be had simply by pulling on the strap run 56. Release of said run allows the means 22 to re-grip the strap.

In the form of FIGS. 4, 5, and 6, the means 22 is modified in that the pivoted bar is replaced by a bar 57 that is slidingly mounted in elongated slots 5S in the Walls 24. A cam-edged arm 59 on the adjuster lever 47a engages a cam face 66 on the bar 57, there being one such arm and cam on each side of the structure.

Between the cam faces 60, the bar is provided with a gripping face 6l that is generally comparable to the face 48 of the other form of buckle. The strap end l1 is trained around the bar as before and the run 56 thereof is normally gripped between the face 61 and a roller 62 on the pivot pin 20. Said roller replaces the face 49. In other respects, the lever 47a may resemble the lever 47 but is advantageously made of sheet metal instead of being molded as in FIG. 3. In FIG. 5, the means 22 is shown in strap-gripping position.

While the foregoing specification illustrates and describes what I now contemplate to be the best modes of carrying out my invention, the constructions are, of course, subject to modification without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. Therefore, I do not desire to restrict the invention to the particular form of construction illustrated and described, but desire to cover all modiications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A buckle comprising a tongue part and a connector part, the latter comprising inner and outer shells, a pivot pin forming a hinge connection at one end of said shells, whereby the other ends of the shells are adapted to move relatively on said pivot pin, a latch to separably engage the tongue part carried by the inner shell at said other end, said outer shell carying an actuator to release the latch upon relative movement of the shells on said pivot pin, said outer shell including a handle portion at its other end and having outer side walls encasing the side walls of said inner shell and forming additional hand gripping portions for manipulating the shells on their pivot pin.

2. In a buckle, a pair of shells, a pivot connecting said shells at one end whereby the opposite ends of the shells are adapted to move relatively on the pivot, a connector latch carried by one shell adjacent said opposite end thereof, spring means normally biasing the latch to latching position, an actuator for said latch carried by the other shell and movable with said other shell on the pivot to move the latch to release position against the bias of the spring means upon relative separating movement of the shells on their pivot, one shell having its sides outward of the sides of the other shell, said outer shell being provided with a handle for moving the same relatively to the inner shell, the latter shell carrying the latch, the outer shell carrying the latch actuator, the sides of the inner shell having slots therein, and the actuator extending through said slots into operative engagement with the latch.

3. In a buckle, a pair of shells, a pivot connecting said shells at one end whereby the opposite ends of the shells are adapted to move relatively on the pivot, a connector latch carried by one shell adjacent said opposite end thereof, spring means normally biasing the latch to latching position, and an actuator for said latch carried by the other shell and movable with said other shell on the pivot to move the latch to release position against the bias of the spring means upon relative separating movement of the shells on their pivot, the sides of the inner shell having slots, and the actuator extending through said slots into operative engagement of the latch.

4. In a buckle, a pair of shells, a pivot connecting said shells at one end whereby the opposite ends of the shells are adapted to move relatively on the pivot, a connector latch carried by one shell adjacent said opposite end thereof, spring means normally biasing the latch to latching position, an actuator for said latch carried by the other shell and movable with said other shell on the pivot to actuate the latch to release position against the bias of the spring means, one shell having its sides outward of the sides of the other shell, said outer shell being provided with a handle at its outer end portion for moving the same relatively to the inner shell, said latter shell carrying the latch, said actuator comprising a transversely extending latch actuation bar extending from side to side of said outer shell, said inner shell being formed with vertical slots which receive said actuation bar to limit the pivotal movement of said shell during actuation of said latch.

5. In a buckle, a pair of shells, a pivot connecting said shells at one end whereby the opposite ends of the shells are adapted to move relatively on the pivot, a connector latch, a pivot connecting said connector latch to one shell adjacent said opposite end thereof, an abutment on the latch for separable connection with a connecting buckle part and located between the latch pivot and the pivot connecting the shells, spring means normally biasing the latch member on its pivot to latching engagement of said abutment and connecting buckle part, and an actuator for said latch carried by the other shell and movable with said other shell on the shell-connecting pivot to engage the latch and move the same on its pivot against the bias of said spring means when the shells are moved apart to, thereby, move the latch abutment rela- 5 tive to the separate buckle part introduced into the buckle between said opposite ends of the shells, one shell having its sides outward of the sides of the other shell, said outer shell being provided with a handle on the end thereof farthest from the shellconnecting pivot, said handle being adapted to be raised to pivotally spread the shells apart on their pivot, the inner shell carrying the latch at a position between the shell-connecting pivot and the handle, the outer shell carrying the latch actuator and said actu- References Cited in the le of this patent ator being disposed between the shell-connecting pivot 10 2,846,745

and the latch.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Beazley 1 June 23, 1942 Elsner Apr. 1, 1952 Rasmussen Jan. 5, 1954 Davis June 2l, 1955 Noe June 26, 1956 Honey et al Sept. 24, 1957 Lathrop Aug. 12, 1958 

